Glass base for furniture.



No. 779,402. PATENTED JAN. 10,1905. M. I. ABRAMS. GLASS BASE-FOR FURNITURE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.18.1904.

WITNESSES INVENTOR f 7 MVMM ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES Patented January 10, 1905.

PATENT OEEIcE.

GLASS BASE FOR FURNITURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,402, dated January 10, 1905.

Application filed April 18, 1904. Serial No. 203,572.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARY I. ABRAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of VVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Glass Bases for Furniture, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for insulating bedsteads and other furniture from the floor. It is claimed to have been scientifically demonstrated that the health of persons is promoted by insulating the beds upon which they sleep from connection with the earth, and to accomplish this desired objeot casters have been heretofore constructed having glass rollers. It has been found that when using glass rollers in connection with a caster-supporting bracket and bracket-supporting shank for insulating furniture the legs of the furniture are made of such a variety of sizes and shapes that it is impracticable for the canvasser who is installing insulators upon furniture previously constructed to carry a sufficient variety of sizes and shapes to fit the various forms of furniture with which it is desirable to attach such insulators.

The object of my invention is to provide a device for insulating beds and other furniture which is adapted to be used with casters already in use and without removing the casters from the furniture, whereby my insulators can be attached in a moments time to all sizes and shapes of furniture regardless of the casters used therewith or the manner of connecting the same.

The construction of my invention is eX- plained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a vertical section. Fig. 2 represents a transverse section drawn on line a: w of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 represents atop view of the preferred form of caster-supporting block.

Like parts are identified by the same reference-letters throughout the several views.

A represents one of the legs of a piece of furniture with which my caster-supporting block is used.

B is a caster of ordinary construction comprising the shank C, leg-supporting shoulder D, and roller-supporting yoke F.

Gr represents a glass insulating-block,which is placed beneath the roller E, as shown in Fig. 1. The bottom of the block G is made smooth and is preferably beveled around its marginal edge, as shown at H, whereby the same may be easily slid upon its supportingsurface. Owing to the fact that the insulating-block G is made of glass, it is susceptible of a high polish and a smooth finish, whereby the furniture can be slid over the carpet or other surface with minimum friction. The center of the block H is provided with a concave cavity I for the reception of the roller E. While the cavity I may, if desired, be made hemispherical in shape and of uniform distance around a common center, I preferably form such cavity in the peculiar shape shown in Fig. 3, in which one side of the wall converges from its largest diameter gradually inwardly in a circular course toward its center until it reaches a point nearly opposite the starting-point of said convergence, when it terminates in a radial line at nearly right angles therefrom toward the exterior wall of said block, whereby the cavity is adapted to fit caster-rollers of various diameters. Thus it is obvious that when a caster of the largest diameter is used the block is turned so that the caster will extend-across said cavity at its greatest diameter, as shown at J in Fig. 3.

When, however, the block is used with a caster-roller of the smallest dimensions, the block is turned so that the caster will be brought to the narrowest part of said cavity, as indicated in dotted lines at K. When rollers of intermediate sizes are used, the block is turned so as to extend across the cavity at intermediate points between J and K, as indicated at L. Thus it is obvious that by turning the block it can be made to fit rollers of any ordinary diameter between the largest and the smallest in common use, whereby when sliding the furn'iture over a surface without lifting the same the liability of the caster rolling to one side of the cavity and tipping over the supporting-block, as might otherwise be the case, is avoided.

To prevent the liability of the casters being lifted from the caster-supporting block when raising the furniture in the act of moving the same, I preferably provide said block with a retaining band or keeper M, which keeper is preferably formed of thin resilent sheet metal and is inserted through the yoke F of the easter and connected at its respective ends with the exterior walls of the block, as shown in Fig. 1. Thus it is obvious that by this arrangement my insulating device can be readily and quickly attached to furniture already in use without change or modification, while said blocks are adapted by turning the same as described to fit the rollers of various diameters, while the liability of the same becoming detached from the furniture when raising or removing the same is entirely avoided.

While I have thus far shown and described my invention as being used in connection with furniture-casters, it is obvious that, if desired, the same may be connected directly with the legs of the furniture and the caster dispensed with.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An insulating-block for furniture, formed of glass and provided with a concave center in which the furniture is adapted to be supported and having the marginal edge of its lower surface beveled upwardly to facilitate its being slid upon its supporting-surface,substantially as specified.

2. An insulating-block for furniture,formed of glass and provided with a concave center for the reception of a furniture-caster in which said caster is adapted to be supported and having the marginal edge of its lower surface beveled upwardly to facilitate .its being slid upon its supporting-surface and a resilient keeper for preventing the same from being disengaged from the caster when the furniture is raised, substantially as specified.

3. An insulating-block for furniture, formed ofglass provided with a concave center for the reception of a furniture-caster, the walls of which cavity upon one side thereof, converge in a circular course from its largest diameter gradually toward the center to a point opposite the starting-point of such convergence, whereby the same is adapted to fit rollers of various diameters, substantially as specified.

4. An insulating-block for fu rniture, formed of glass provided with a concave center for the reception of a furniture-caster, the walls of which cavity upon one side thereof, converge in a circular course from its largest diameter gradually toward the center to a point opposite the starting-point of such convergence, whereby the same is adapted to fit rollers of various diameters, and means for connecting said block with the furniture-caster, whereby the same will be raised with the furniture, all substantially as, and for the purpose specified.

in testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MARY I. ABRAMS.

Vitnesses:

JAs. B. ERWIN, N. Z. TAUcHEn. 

